Can-Am pond hockey tournament expands

January 6, 2012

LAKE PLACID - Nearly 50 teams have signed up to compete in the Can-Am pond hockey tournament the weekend of Jan. 27 to 29, and village Mayor Craig Randall said the increased size of the tournament is "wonderful news."

This village will allow a tent on Mirror Lake for this incarnation of the annual event, a move that may let participants drink beer there.

The tournament will be held on Mirror Lake near the Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort, weather permitting. In past years, the resort has made its Four Seasons room available for participants to change clothes and get beverages, but Randall said that this year, the Four Seasons room can't "comfortably support" all the teams signed up to play. Therefore, Can-Am sought permission to rent a large tent to place on the surface of Mirror Lake, directly in front of the Golden Arrow. Event organizers also plan to provide alcoholic beverages - beer specifically - inside the tent.

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The responsibility for beverages served during the event would fall to whatever supplier or caterer Can-Am hires, according to Randall.

"We're all aware of the fact that there is a precedent for this type of activity with beverages, so long as they're contained on the premise and it's a private event and beverages are not available for sale to the general public," the mayor said, noting that participants in the tournament are given vouchers for drinks when they register.

Trustee Zay Curtis spoke with village police Chief Bill Moore, who said the board only needs to approve a permit for the tent.

"What they do in that tent, they have to get licenses for, and the vendor has to comply with the terms of the license," Curtis said. "If those people take their stuff up on the street, the police will treat it as anybody else who takes it up on the street - and they're not allowed to, so they'll be dealt with."

Randall also met with village Code Enforcement Officer Jim Morganson, who said his only concern would be the placement of heaters or propane tanks on the ice.

The village approved Can-Am's request for the tent during a board meeting last week. Curtis said the approval is subject to Can-Am securing the necessary licenses for all activities related to the tournament.

Trustee Peter Holderied recused himself from the vote because his family owns the Golden Arrow.